


Christmas Wishes and New Years Cheers

by Bespectacled_Owl



Category: Free!
Genre: Chapters are various lengths, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Christmas Shopping, Fluff, Gift Exchange, Gift Fic, Letters to Santa, M/M, Momo and Ai are mall elves, New Year's Eve, Rating for Language, Sibling Incest, Suggestive Themes, Underage Drinking, lots of couples get together, there's a muscle contest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 06:25:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13207878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bespectacled_Owl/pseuds/Bespectacled_Owl
Summary: This is a collection of holiday scenes that I put together focused around Christmas and New Years, there's a lot of pairings and a lot of plots but I hope you enjoy it - sorry it's hard to summarizeChpt 1: Letters to Santa from some of the KidsChpt 2: Christmas shopping and mall shenanigansChpt 3: Christmas morning with some families and a party at Haru's HouseChpt 4: New Years party at the Kirishima's





	1. Letter's to Santa

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kawaiiclare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kawaiiclare/gifts).



> Note: Just clarifying that not all the chapters are written in this format, starting next chapter it's normal narration
> 
> This is a gift to my amazing Secret Santa Clare for the Free! Eternal Summer Fans FB group 2017 Secret Santa exchange. I got you again lovely so I hope you enjoy it!! (I'm sorry I went a little overboard again XD)

Dear Santa,

It’s Rin here, heh, can you define “good” for me? Okay okay I’m just kidding… But I hope that it maybe made you laugh! It always feels super weird just writing you a letter telling you what I would like for Christmas, but that seems to be what you want according to all the stuff I can find online so here it goes.

Santa, if it’s not too much trouble, could you bring something special for my mom? She’s been super nice this year and only ever thinks about Gou and I even though I know she needs to sometimes think about herself too. I would get her something myself but I don’t know if I can make anything that special… So I could really use your help.

It would also be really cool if you could grant Gou’s wish too! I’m not sure what she’s asking for because obviously we have to keep it a secret, but if you can that would be awesome! She’s been super good too, even if she did “borrow” my stuffed shark and never gave it back. I think she deserves something pretty like her :D!  
  
Now I’m not sure if there’s a limitation on the number of things we can wish for, but I promise this is the last one. I don’t want anything physical for Christmas this year, but according to all my friends your Christmas magic is really strong so I’m hoping you can help me out. I really want to share a special ~~kiss~~ ~~hug~~    **moment** with Nanase Haruka this year. It doesn't even have to be for Christmas, just… at some point. I promise I’ve been ~~super very~~ good this year. I listened to my mom and my teachers, I did all my chores, and I never missed a school assignment or a swim practice. So please, can you help me out? Oh! And I know this goes without saying but please don't tell Nanase ~~that I’m in love wi-~~ that this is what I asked for.

I’ll make sure to leave you a lot of Christmas cookies and a tall glass of cold milk, and some apples for the reindeer!! So, just for good measure, please grant my wishes this year Santa!

 

With the upmost respect,

Rin Matsuoka

~~~~

Dear Santa,

This is Nanase Haukua. To be honest Makoto is making me write this letter to you so I apologize. I know your magic is so strong that you already know our wishes, so writing to you just gives you more work to do. Therefore, out of respect for you, I will keep this short.

I do not really need anything because my parents say they will be here with Obāchan this year, so thank you for granting last years wish. Since you already gave me that, I don’t really feel right asking you for anything else. Maybe something small, like some mackerel or a new swimsuit if you have the extra time… maybe a new waterfall magazine too. ~~I would also enjoy it if I could swim more with my red-haired friend Rin~~ ignore that please.

Sincerely,

Nanase Haruka

~~~

Hello Santa!

It’s Gou writing to you in this letter! I hope you and Mrs. Claus and the reindeer and all the elves are doing great even if you are really busy this time of year! Nii-chan said that we're going to be sending our letters off to you soon and I wasn’t ready so I’m sorry if I don't make much sense. Nii-chan said you’ll know what I mean anyways!

Ummm, I’m not sure if you take requests for other people through these letters but if you could do something extra special for my mommy I would be really happy. She’s like the best mommy any girl could ask for so I want her to get something special! So I hope wishing for her is okay.

Nii-chan seems really stressed writing his letter too, he keeps scribbling things out… Plus he said that you have to keep your letter to Santa a secret! So he wont tell me what he’s sayin… But I hope you can grant his wishes too, whatever they are.

As for me, I saw this really cute whale shark stuffy at the store the other day, that would be a nice gift. But mostly, I just want more friends! Like a bunch my age or nii-chan's age is fine, I just want more people to play with! Umm, if it’s not too much trouble, could you also make nii-chan and Sousuke-kun even better friends so he would be around more, I think I might like spending more time with ~~him~~ them too. ~~Or he could just hang out with m -~~ Thank you so so so much!

Nii-chan said we are gonna leave you cookies and milk and stuff so look for those when you visit us! 

Love,

Gou Matsuoka <3

~~~~~

 

Dear Santa,

My name is Ikuya Kirishima, I’m not entirely sure if you actually get any of these letters or if you have people that read them for you, but either way this is worth a shot I suppose. Natsuya-nii is writing you a letter too so I figured I would sit and write one with him.

I don’t really need anything this year… Rather, I would like to ask for your help. There’s this kid at my school, Nanase Haruka, he’s an amazing swimmer and even though I keep trying to keep up with him it seems like I’m missing something.

I’m not sure what it is exactly, but my nii-chan notices it too. He’s always talking about that dark-haired kid this, that Haruka kid that. He seems so fascinated with Nanase’s talent and I can’t figure out what I’m doing differently. ~~It’s just so frustrating because I just want him to look at me the sam~~ -    ~~I just want Natsuya-nii to stay with m~~ -      ~~I want him to want to be around me as much as I want to be with hi~~   

If possible, if there’s anything you can do to help me learn, I would greatly appreciate it. I should also note I have the upmost respect for you and your work.

Sincerely,

Ikuya Kirishima

~~~~

Hey there Santa!

It’s Momo again this year (Momotarou Mikoshiba)! I’m super excited for Christmas this year and hope that everything is WONDERFUL up in the North Pole!

Sei-nii said that my only hope for getting as strong as him this year is with some magic – and I heard that you might be the guy to ask from this funny grey haired kid in my class. He wouldn’t show me what he wrote to you, in fact, he kinda freaked out when I tried to steal it, how funny is that?

He finally told me that you’re supposed to keep it a secret or something but I don't think you’re that strict, you’re too jolly to be a meany. Well anyways Santa, I hope that you can help me get as strong and talented as my nii-chan!

I guess that might not be something you can use your magic for though… I’m not sure what the rules are. If you can’t a new X-box would be cool! Or a tablet. Hmm or if that’s too much work then I think Pyunsuke could use a new hat- I just think he would look so cool!

Oh! And just like last year it would be cool if I could make even more friends this year! But I think I can probably do that on my own if it’s too much trouble. Anyways I hope you have a safe trip around the world!

Cheers,

Momo and Pyunsuke


	2. Holiday Shopping and Mall Shenanigans

“Stop playing with my hat!” Ai whined for the umpteenth time, trying to hold the costume piece on top of his head.

“But if we switched they would look so much betttteeerrrr” Momo retorted, still trying to grip onto the prop.

“How does that even make sense?! They’re the same hat with different colours?!”

“Yessss but _yours_ is red and green, and _mine_ is blue and white, the blue will match your cute little eyes and the red matches my hair – so gimme!”

Ai was taken aback by Momo’s unintentional flirting as always… He knew it was just the fire-y redhead’s odd, giddy personality talking, and that he didn’t mean anything more than what he said. But the small out-of-place comments always managed to throw Ai for a bit of a loop.

He’s too oblivious to know the feelings Ai kept hidden from him so there’s no way he was doing it intentionally either… Jeez, how could anyone say no if the idiot was this persistent?

Ai sighed and begrudgingly took off his hat, making sure to hide his reddening face while they switched. What were the chances they got put on the same shift again anyways? There were literally dozens of seasonal employees working as elves this time of year and yet _somehow_ they ended up on the same shift for the 4 th time this week, he wasn’t sure how much more of this he could handle.

The silver-haired boy tried to huff away irritatedly, but the bells on the tips of his shoes made his exit significantly less dramatic than he had intended- and almost had Momo falling to the floor with laughter. This was apparently going to be another long shift… He just had to wait until Rin and Gou were finished shopping, then he would at least get some room to breath.

~~~

 

In all honesty, Rin should have seen the disagreement coming; the fact that they had managed _not_ to argue about anything yet was honestly more of an anomaly. Not that he and his sister argued often…

It’s just that their opinions about fashion were so _fundamentally_ different that he wasn’t sure how they hadn’t disagreed on anything else up to this point.

“Gou… for the last time… _listen to me_. Mum will like the burgundy and white blanket scarf the best – it matches her hair, it’s timeless and simple, and it will go well with her winter jacket.”

“Nooooo, I’m telling you _for the last time_ , she’ll like the pink one with the flowers on it with the bows.”

“Gou that’s too childish, there’s no way she would wear that. You’d just end up borrowing it- this isn’t a present for you.” Rin argued with a chiding smirk on his face, knowing she wasn’t intentionally trying to buy herself a gift but knowing the comment helped his point.

“Baka nii-chan I know it’s for mom, you just don’t know what she likes.” Gou retorted, puffing her cheeks.

“ _I don't know what she likes?_ Tsk, Gou, mom compliments me on my style all the time… Just trust me on this _please –_ We got her the cardigan you liked and we agreed on the earrings. Plus, she’s gonna love the onsen gift we all got the moms together. Just let me have this one.”

“Hmmmm… Okay fineeee. You win.” Gou exclaimed rolling her eyes. Rin cheered, pumping his fist in the air a little in success before quickly running to the counter. He didn’t know if Gou would end up changing her mind so he was quick in pulling out his wallet and tapping his card.

Walking away swinging the package in his right hand, Rin couldn’t help but have a bit of a spring in his step. With the purchase he was pretty much finished his Christmas shopping, and two weeks early at that – aside from one more thing for Gou… and a present for Haru.

Those were going to have to wait until after his exam though. Trying to figure out a suitable gift for Haru was a future, not a present Rin problem.

Speaking of his exam, he had around half an hour until Sousuke was supposed to meet them at Santa’s village in the centre of the mall. They had agreed they could only take a break for a few hours before they needed to head back to Samezuka to study.

The pair made there way towards the center of the mall, passing seasonal treats and manoeuvrings through the holiday crowds. Oddly enough, Rin could say he actually enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the busy shopping center around this time of year- you could just feel the Christmas cheer radiating off the other shoppers. All the laughing children excited to visit Santa and his elves, parents joyfully shopping for their families - and then you had the couples. The jovial pairs shopping for one another, sharing seasonal treats, and generally basking in the glow of the holiday spirit together.

God what he would give to have someone to share the holiday season with- the romantic in him just yearned for someone to do cheesy couple-y things with, like ice skating or building gingerbread houses, and kissing under mistletoe. The thought alone brought a warmth to his chest, and a blush to his face when he realized he couldn’t help but think of dark raven hair and sapphire eyes in the process.

Rin shook his messy wine-toned locks in an effort to dispel the image, he shouldn’t be thinking about this in public. He could use a distraction -

“Hey Gou, I’m pretty much done all my shopping, but is there anything specific you think you might want for Christmas?” He was pretty sure he saw her looking at a nice bottle of perfume when they were in Takashimaya earlier, but maybe there was something else.

“Hmmmm, well I wouldn’t mind a few of those muscle-covered magazines that you always have in your room.” She said with a wink as her brother’s face was washed with horror and a slight tinge of pink.

“You know those are for training- c’mon give me a break.”

“Hehe, I know I know, I’m just messing with you-” She giggled, nudging him with her elbow. “Umm, I don't really need anything… There’s this cute pair of stockings and shoes that would be nice to have for school, I can send you a picture when I get home? OH and there’s this perfume I’ve been thinking I want to try.” Ah there it was ~ Rin supposed he could afford some shoes and a pair of stockings too.  

Great, now that he had that idea for Gou, that left one…

“What about you Nii-san, is there anything you want?” She quickly retorted having no idea what he could possibly need now that he was out of the house.

  
“ _I don't really think you can get me what I’d want…”_ Rin mumbled out absentmindedly under his breath, still having a certain dolphin on his mind.

“What was that?” Gou asked leaning in closer.

“N..nothing, I said there isn’t really anything. I guess I could use some more protein powder if you want to buy it for me?” He said rubbing the back of his neck, not really meaning to have said the first statement out loud.

“That’s not a presentttt- c’mon you gotta give me something!”

“I don’t really want you spending your money on me though… I don’t know just get me something to wear that you think I’ll like- but don’t go crazy buying anything expensive though, just use your imagination.”

“That doesn’t help, give me more of a hin-”

  
“GOU-SANNNN!!!!” All off a sudden Rin could see a jingling red and green flash racing in their direction; apparently they had already made it to Santa’s village.

“Not so fast there Momo” Rin exclaimed quickly grabbing the boy by the back of his (elf) shirt before he jumped on Gou.

“Oh c’mon it’s just a hug you over-protective nutcase, ju-just let me goooo.” Momo struggled to get out of the shark’s grip, futile in every tug and pull. After a moment of struggle Momo gave up and resigned to moping with his arms crossed, at which point Rin couldn’t help but laugh a little and release the struggling teen.

Ai came racing after Momo soon after, apparently less practiced in running with the ridiculous shoes, almost sliding directly into Gou in the process. He was apologizing to Gou profusely before he was even standing straight and to her brother soon after.

“Don’t worry about it Ai-” Rin laughed out, musing his young kohai’s hair “It’s obvious that unlike _someone_ over here, it was an accident. Oi! Momo, personal space-” And he was moving to pull the fire-y redhead away again.

Ai knew he had thought he wanted some breathing room from the overwhelming excitement Momo exuded… But watching him fawn over Gou as he complimented her hair, make-up, shoes, and everything in between left an uncomfortable pulling in his chest. He looked away to hide the uncontrollable grimace that marred his features, scolding himself for feeling jealous over something so petty. They weren’t even dating, he didn’t have the right to feel annoyed.

He had been forced to accept his little crush was more than just attraction when they moved in together. Unlike his interest in Rin, which he had come to determine was mostly out of respect (and okay yes attraction), this thing with Momo was different.

He was loud and obnoxious, and drove him up the wall more than half the time, but he couldn’t help but like him anyways. It was annoying and ridiculously inconvenient considering the idiot was probably straight, possibly bi if Ai was lucky and all that flirting actually meant anything at all…. But the chances of him even actually noticing Ai while Gou was still available was almost non-existent. Not that this realization was anything new to Ai, the sight was just a reminder was all.

Ai hid his emotions pretty well all things considered, but if anyone was going to recognize the turmoil going inside his cute little head it was Rin. He was glancing over at Momo with the same expression he caught himself giving Haru every so often. Ai didn’t need that type of annoying pull at his chest anymore then Rin did this time of year, and he’d had enough moping for the day. Pulling the grey haired boy into a headlock, he mused his hair again and startled to tickle him until the boy was laughing.

Then he dropped his voice a little lower so only Ai could hear him-

“Don’t worry about him for now, he’ll eventually get it through his thick skull that she has no interest in him, he's oblivious but I don't think he’s _that_ stupid. When he’s all heart broken and needing attention that’s when you can help him out.” Ai instantly flushed red at the sentiment, and just shook Rin off.

“I - I ha…have no idea what you’re talking about Rin-Senpai.” 

“Sure you don’t Ai, sure you don’t-” and then he raised his voice so Gou and a currently starstruck Momo could hear.

“ Oi, guys, Sousuke should’ve been here like 10 minutes ago, if we add in the 20 he normally takes for getting lost he should be here soon and Gou and I still need to take that photo with Santa - so lets get going.” He made the statement while grabbing both boys by the wrists and dragging them back towards the mall Santa.

Gou and Rin had started the tradition of getting a photo taken with Santa for their mum every Christmas back in elementary school, and they hadn’t missed a year since. So of course this Christmas was no exception.

“What if we did something different this year with our expressions? We always just smile.” Gou proposed while they were in line.

“If you can think of something then let’s do it, I’m sure mum’ll still love it regardless of what we do.” Rin laughed throwing an arm over her shoulder. It was the feeling behind the photo that mattered anyways.

“OH! What if we make a heart with our hands?” Rin nodded his head in agreement - it wasn’t the most creative idea but it would do.

When it was finally their turn to take their photo, the siblings made a heart with their hands and waited for Ai to take their photo.

“Hey why don’t you guys have Santa make the V at the bottom of the heart, and you guys could make the arches at the stop?” Ai chimed in, thinking the image would be more festive.

Both Rin and Gou smiled at the grey-haired boy before looking at the Santa-actor for approval. The jolly old man of course approved and they took the smiling photo moments later.

“I think this might be our best photo yet, thank you!” Gou excitedly exclaimed, giving Ai a giant hug, surprisingly without any sort of intervention from her brother. Apparently knowing the young man had a crush on Momo meant he now got a free pass in the sister department.

“Not going to jump in and ‘save her’ from Ai?” Sousuke called out to Rin, alerting the friends to his arrival.

Gou immediately released Nitori, her face flushing at her forward behaviour before she greeted Sou more gently, tucking a strand of her wine locks behind her ear. Rin moved to greet the taller male with a signature handshake, praising him for _finally_ finding the Village.

At the same time Momo launched himself onto Ai from behind, taking in a deep breath in a futile attempt to smell some of Gou’s perfume.

“That’s just not faaairrrrr- why did he let you her hug you?” He said with a pout, still not releasing the boy from his tight grip. Ai could feel his heart slamming into his chest and his face flush as he felt the otter’s bright red hair brushing his cheeks. Like he said, this was going to be a long shift.

Rin could only chuckle to himself at the sight, trying not to show that he even saw what was happening, though his distraction meant he didn’t catch the look that passed between Sousuke and Gou.

“Hey, I just picked up all the tickets for the onsen trip we’re giving our mums - How did shopping end up going?? I see you both came back alive so that’s a good sign?” He said teasingly, knowing the siblings well enough to know that anything involving picking out clothes was bound to cause an argument at some point. Rin elbowed him in the chest lightly as a response, not able to completely deny the fact that they had argued.

“We finished getting the last bit of stuff for mum, but Nii-chan is being cruel and still wont tell me what he wants for Christmas- can you help me out??” She asked, giving Sou her best puppy dog stare.

The expression would have worked too, if the teen wasn’t currently more bent on embarrassing his best friend than granting every wish the young girl made - which he normally would. He laughed from deep in his stomach before grabbing Rin tightly by the shoulder-

“Well you can’t exactly give him Nanase’s ass now can you?” Sou winked in her direction as Gou’s face instantly turned bright red at the lewd language.

Rin, on the other hand, was immediately shoving his hands away telling him to "fuck off" as the top of his cheeks began to colour. The last thing he needed was Gou knowing about his little obsession too.

“Gou, just ignore the _ridiculously un-funny jokes_ this idiot is telling. I told you, just don’t spend a ton of money and get me something you think I’d like to wear. The red head tried to pull his friend towards the doors for a hasty exit but he didn’t have much success- the giant refused to budge.

“Hey Gou, I gotta get this wimp back to school to study for our exam, can you pass this stuff along to Tachibana and the guys for me?” Gou's response was uncharacteristically quiet as she nodded politely, reaching out to take the tickets and trip information from him.

Sou made sure to brush his hand along hers as he handed them over, enjoying the embarrassed panic that was subtly present on her features, before tapping her on the nose as he said "see you later".

Rin, of course, failed to notice everything that happened in his hurry to get out of there, and just told Gou he’d "see her when he was home" as Sou finally allowed himself to be pulled back towards the school.

Gou was left stunned for a moment looking down at the gift in her hand, forgetting where she was for a moment before reaching up to gently touch her nose with a smile.

Unknown to her, Momo and Ai had watched the whole scene play out, the red head walking back to work solemnly, the other trying to hide the excitement bubbling up in his chest before quickly following after him.

Coming to her senses a moment later, Gou shook her head and pulled out her phone, she was supposed to meet Haru and the rest of the team to shop for a small gift for Miho and Goro- she text Makoto asking where they were since he was way more likely to respond.

Getting a response back Gou gathered herself and made her way to the food court- she supposed they were meeting to hash out ideas first.

~~~

It had taken them far too long to come to an agreement, mostly because Nagisa was convinced chocolate was the ideal present and no one wanted to agree with him. As Rei continued to try and reason with the blond (he was going on minute 13) the others had started to talk about their own Christmas plans. From the sounds of it, everyone planned on spending the morning with their families having breakfast and exchanging gifts - that’s when they would pass on the tickets to their moms. After some discussion and few texts sent out to Rin and the rest of the Samezuka team, they had also decided that everyone was going to stop by Haru’s after dinner for their own small celebration.

Gou also remembered in the process of discussing their own plans that her brother had mentioned still not having a present for Haru yet…

“Hey, what did you guys ask for for Christmas this year anyways?” She asked with a smile, hoping to get an idea of what the boy might want.

“Oh, well I asked my parents for a few things; some clothes, a few video games for Haru and I to play, a …” Gou ended up zoning what Makoto said out, she’d learn what he actually got after the fact anyways and she already bought his gift, what she needed to know was Haru, so she waited until the brunet finished speaking and shifted to look at the raven.

“What about you Haruka-san?” He shrugged, his response somewhat quiet but a lot longer than she was expecting, delivered with he typically straight face-

“Me?... Oh… Well, I asked my parents for this Shun Premier knife set that one of the local ramen shops is selling… One of the chefs got a new set for free from them recently and he’s selling his old ones for like 1/8th of the buying price. I-I don’t know if they’re going to be back from working overseas in time though... So I guess I’m not really sure what I’m asking for…”

“Oh really? Wh-which ramen shop?” Gou ended up speaking too quickly and stuttered.

She knew she sounded too interested for it not to be suspicious, but she wanted to make sure her brother knew where to go so she had to ask. Luckily the ever-helpful and unquestioning Makoto decided to respond quickly before Haru could ask why she wanted to know.

“Oh it’s so nice of them, it’s that shop down the street from us that we went to after practice three weeks ago. Though, honestly, I’m pretty sure the head chef is just giving Haru a deal- I doubt he’d sell to anyone else that cheaply. The only reason we thought Haru’s parents might get the deal was because it was a gift for him.” Makoto smiled knowingly at her, it was annoying how he seemed to be able to read everyone’s mind. But Gou had to admit that all of that information was important, especially the mention that the deal was because it was a gift for Haru, and she was glad he told her.

“What about you Gou-kun? What did you ask for?” Mako asked, turning the question back on her, maybe to redirect the focus off her question, but more likely to be polite. Either way it was appreciated.

“Oh nothing special really, my whole family needed some ideas so I asked for some sweets, clothes, a few manga, a new book bag, a few things for school, and some perfume.” After she finished she heard Haru mumble something but she couldn’t quite make it out.

“I’m sorry Haruka-san, I didn’t hear you…”

“R-Rin. What did Rin ask for?” the raven mumbled a little louder, he was trying to seem nonchalant, but she could tell he was paying close attention to her response.

Gou started to smile and tried to cover it with a fake cough. Again, not wanting to make anything too obvious what she was thinking. But she also wasn’t quite sure how to answer that one…

“Well to be honest he didn’t give me a whole lot, he said ‘he doesn’t need anything’, and pitched protein powder. Then when I pressed him about it he basically said something fashionable but not expensive.”

It was the truth but she could tell that wasn’t exactly the type of response Haru was hoping for. She also caught the look of disappointment that flashed over his face, probably because he found it equally as unhelpful as she had.

Hoping to improve his mood she tried Sousuke’s earlier joke, abet, it was told in a more G-rated manner with a bright smile.

“I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t mind you all wrapped up with a bow Haruka-san.” The comment had Makoto almost spitting out the latte he had just taken a sip of as Haru’s face flushed red. Neither of them had been expecting the comment because why would they have?!

Gou started to laugh out loud that time, explaining through giggles that it was just a joke- and that her brother had had a similar reaction to Haru. Rather than responding, Makoto aimed a look Gou couldn’t really read at the raven sitting next to him - the other noticeably avoiding his stare.

Feeling a little more uncomfortable with the situation Gou went to apologize for the comment but suddenly everyone heard an exasperated sigh come from Rei next to them, breaking the tension.

Turning to look they saw the blue-haired teen face down on the table in exhaustion - Nagisa with a winning smirk on his face as he crossed his arms in accomplishment.

“Rei-chan agrees with me, chocolate is the best option for a gift.” The bubbly blond said with a smile while patting Rei on the head. The others could only laugh at the bickering couple. They had known there was no way Rei was winning the debate the moment it started anyways.

The group ended up heading towards the confectioners shop at the opposite end of the mall.

Slowing down a little so she was behind everyone else, Gou pulled put her phone and made sure to text her brother all the details about the gift idea for Haru- and decided not to mention his reaction to the joke in case her brother got mad. She was only hoping that Haru wouldn’t expect anything.

As she put her phone away in her pocket, she looked up and could have sworn she saw their old friend Natsuya walking in the opposite direction out of the corner of her eye. But when she turned to call out to him he had a mischievous smirk on his face as he went into a *ahem* _questionable_ shop that Gou wasn’t particularly excited to follow him in to, so she decided to let it slide.

“OH! Can we actually look in here really quick, there’s something I wanted to pick up for my brother here.” Rei asked, motioning towards a shop a little further up on the left. They weren’t in any particular rush so the group decided to browse the shop while Rei picked out a shoulder bag rather than waiting outside.

While they looked, Gou noticed Haru staring at a nice silver skeleton watch with a designer faux-leather chestnut brown band. The face itself was beautiful with open copper and gold-toned gears accented with wine red and sapphire blue gems.

Despite the fact that this was literally the perfect gift for Haru to get her brother, Gou could see that for some weird reason he still needed a nudge. Moving to stand beside him, Gou did her best to sound convincing without making her intentions obvious-

“Oh that’s so cool, I wish I could buy that for Nii-chan… too bad I was already thinking of getting him that jacket I pointed out on the way here, besides he would think it was too expensive for _me_ to buy. But I’m sure he’d _love it ~_.” She emphasized the last part of her statement, working on the assumption that Haru could be a little dense at time, before skipping away for him to make his choice.

Haru stays and still hymns and hums over the watch a bit longer- and unluckily or luckily enough (depending on how you looked at it) a sales associate noticed Gou and Haru talking and pointing to the watch in the case and walked over.

“You know sir, we have a special going on for the holidays that lets you have your purchase engraved for free. I’m sure your girlfriend there would love it and, if I might add, the jewels here match her hair nicely.”

Haru thought the watch looked too masculine to look nice on Gou’s small wrist, but that was beside the point, because it wasn’t actually for her anyways. He doesn’t bother correcting the sales associate about his relationship with Gou, because she was right, the gem stones did match Gou’s hair well - which meant it would also match Rin’s. 

This was it then, he made the decision that this would be his gift to Rin. Leaning over so he wouldn’t be overheard, Haru explains to the associate the statement he would like engraved on the underside of the watch around the rim of the face. After promising the engraving would fit, and working out when he could come pick it up later in the day, Haru purchased the accessory before re-joining the others to help Rei look over the bags.

~~~

 

Once the group had made their final purchases they all headed their separate ways with the promise to finalize holiday planes soon.

When they finally reached the Tachibana’s household partway up the steps, Makoto paused, and was finally able to make the eye contact he’d been trying to make with Haru all afternoon. 

“Lots to think about hm?” Makoto said with a tilt of his head.

“What are you talking about? I don’t get it…” Haru responded, completely lost.

“Sure you do, you just have to think about it.”

“You’re starting to sound as cryptic as Kisumi… stop hanging out with him so much.” Haru mumbled with a huff, still not entirely sure what his best friend could be getting at.

“Jealousy isn’t a good colour on you Haru-chan, you know I’m not going to.” Haru crossed his arms with a ‘humf’, annoyed with the continued lack of clarity.

“You’re changing the topic again… and drop the chan.”

“Not going to do that either Haru-chan, I’ll see you later!” Makoto called before heading inside, leaving the raven to frustratedly stomp up the rest of the steps to his house wondering what on earth the brunet might have been talking about.

He racked his brain for what Makoto could have meant, recalling each of the days events backwards until he realized when the brunet had started to try and catch his attention…

The sudden realization had his face flushing and a strange tingling sensation buzzing through his chest.

‘ _Stuff to think about my ass’_ he thought aggravatedly- Yet he couldn't exactly deny that he was going to end up dwelling over this, and his friend, now that the idea was fresh in his head… He needed to take a bath. That always solved things. He’d deal with all this confusion another time.


	3. Christmas Mornings and a Party

“Gou, you have to be more quiet, your whisking practically sounds like a jackhammer” Rin teased as he melted butter into the frying pans and around the ring molds.

“I’m not _trying_ to be loud~ you were the one that gave me a metal bowl and a metal whisk!” she retorted back in a whisper, flicking the whisk in his direction; the gesture accidentally sending pancake batter flying at Rin, hitting him directly in the face.

“Oh you’ve done it now.” Rin said mischievously before temporarily turning off the burners. Gou’s eyes widened as she started to back away slowly, backing herself into the counter with no way to escape. She began apologizing profusely, begging for forgiveness but it was too late…

Rin quickly trapped her in a hug and began tickling her relentlessly, refusing to let up no matter how many giggle-mixed pleads were sent in his direction. The commotion sent both siblings laughter cheerfully echoing through the house.

“It’s a little early to be being this silly is it not?” A snickered chide came from their now awake mother who was standing near the counter after being coaxed out of bed by the sounds of her kids laughing and likely making a mess of the kitchen.

Both siblings froze in their actions, turning to look at one another with mouth’s agape before smiles stretching from ear to ear graced their faces. They ran over to jump-hug their mom, wishing her a very Merry Christmas and apologizing for breakfast not being quite finished yet.

Their mom laughed again, suggesting that it was no problem, and that Christmas breakfast should be a family affair anyways before moving to turn the burners back on.

Fluffy Japanese-style pancakes laid out in front of them and peppermint mochas prepared rather than coffee, the family spoke casually in familiar warmth around the table, in no rush to get the day started.

Well, two of the three at least- Gou was practically bouncing in her chair unable to hide her excitement. She wanted to make sure they gave their mum her gift as soon as possible.

“Aaa I can't stand the waiting anymore!” She finally exclaimed, hurrying into the living room to gather their mum’s presents, making sure to give her the sealed envelope last.

As his sister sat back down at the table with a giant grin, Rin felt the warmth in his chest spread. He had spent far too much time away from his family over the last couple of years, and he knew it had been hard on all of them. He didn’t regret training, but he knew he had a sacrificed a lot of time with his mom and sister in the process. He was just happy to be back with them to enjoy the season.

As it turned out Rin had been correct about the blanket scarf, his mum loved the gift – exclaiming how it would perfectly match her winter coat like he said she would. Gou had been equally correct about the cardigan she selected. And of course, she loved the earrings they picked out, and was surprised to also find the poetry book she had been wanting – stating how her kids _did_ actually listen to her rambling with a joking smile.

Gou was almost bursting with excitement when she finally handed over the envelope. Her mother gently taking it with a look of slight confusion – exclaiming that they had already gotten her more than enough.

Slowly opening the envelope she was left in slight shock, bringing her free hand up to cover her mouth with happy tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

“Oh you two... this is perfect, and so unnecessary- how on earth did you come up with something like this.” She explained, bringing them both in for a hug. Rin was the first to respond, the idea having been his initially after all-

“You always work so hard to provide and care for us that you never take any time off for yourself, we’re old enough now that I figured it was time for us to show some real appreciation for everything you’ve done for us-” He knew he was going to get a little chocked up explaining why they had gotten her the vacation, but he continued to the best part

“and everyone else thought so too… So this is actually part of a set! The vacation is for all of you to take together- Mrs. Tachibana, Mrs. Nanase, Mrs. Kirishima, Mrs. Yamazaki, Mrs. Ryugazaki, Mrs. Hazuki, and Mrs. Mikoshiba are all coming too.”

Their mum actually started crying with the sentiment that all the kids had put into their gift, she couldn’t recall the last time they could all relax and spend time with one another outside events for their children. She thanked them again with tight hugs and kisses to the tops of their heads before drying her eyes and laughing.

“Well now that I’ve become a sap and cried~ I think it’s about time that you two open your gifts too.”

~~~~~

 

*knock knock knock knock knock*

Ikuya cringed at the obnoxious knocking on his bedroom door, there was no way it was late enough for him to deserve this. Even if it was Christmas.

The knocking persisted and the teen just rolled himself over, covering his ears with his comforter in the process~ mumbling out “5 more minutes” before almost immediately drifting back to sleep.

Natsuya slowly opened the door to his brother’s room, making sure to tiptoe to the side of his bed, ensuring the younger expected nothing.

Taking in a deep breath, the brunet launched himself under the covers and captured his adorable little brother in a bear hug, making sure to pull Ikuya as close as he comfortably could so he couldn’t escape.

Much to the elder’s surprise, his brother was too groggy to fully react to his affection. Rather than yelling at him to back off, the younger of the two sleepily reached up to grasp onto his nii-chan sweater and snuggle in closer to his chest. Deeply inhaling the other's scent, sparking a small smile and a comfortable sigh from them both. 

Natsuya loosened his grip in response, revelling in the sweet gesture and nuzzling into Ikuya's sleep-mused locks. The younger, suddenly feeling more comfortable, barely registered the newfound pressure at various points along his body, the alluring smell that filled his nose… and the subtle sounds of a heartbeat against his ea-

Suddenly realising the situation he put himself in, Natsuya’s cute little brother quickly shifted back to his typical flustered and angry reaction to contact- face flushing a deep shade of scarlet as he pushed the brunet away with an immature “baka nii-chan!” statement along with a litany of profanity.

Natsuya couldn’t help but playfully scold Ikuya’s language; truly enjoying the flustered responses he received from his teasing, and smirking when he thought of how he’d react to one of his more *ahem _* interesting_ gifts once they were alone.

The other huffed in response, pulling up his blankets to cover his reddened face and telling his brother to get out of his room so he could put on a shirt. Natsuya just laughed in response, suggesting it was too late for him to try and be modest after cuddling into him- but made his way to the door none-the-less since they had a time limit.

“Okayyy, just hurry up, remember we have to give mum her gift before one of the others calls and spoils the surprise.” He stated before closing the door behind him.

Ikuya had to admit he forgot about _that_ specific time crunch, so he supposed he should probably be getting up. That being said, he gave himself a couple of moments to catch his breath and calm the rapid beating of his heart.

He couldn’t help but move to press his face into the pillow his brother had just been laying on, inhaling the alluring scent once again- but the smell caused a tightening in his chest… and in his boxers… that he couldn’t deal with right now. So he quickly pulled himself away and jumped out of bed to throw on the ridiculous Christmas sweater Natsuya made him wear each year before making his way towards the kitchen for some much needed coffee.

~~~

 

It was still bright and early that Christmas morning, but the Mikoshiba’s household was already alive with holiday cheer as they gathered around the table for breakfast.

Sei and his dad had both gotten up at the crack of dawn to cook a grand American-style breakfast complete with blueberry flapjacks, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and a number of different fruits. A breakfast that they were both currently boasting about as everyone started to dig in, ‘like father like son’ was all their mother could comment with a laugh.

She did, however, end up scolding the two of them for not putting on their shirts under their aprons. Commenting as to how dangerous it was to fry oily food without protection, and how the cold might get them sick sitting at the table shirtless like this. Not that this behaviour was anything new, but she would still try and drill some sense into them one of these days.

As if to simply prove her previous point, both men gave her the same silly confused reaction to her scolding- lifting their heads up from their plates only to have whipped cream stuck to the tips of their noses. She couldn’t do anything but laugh at the ridiculous scene, prompting both men to look at one another and start laughing them selves for the ridiculous situation.

While everyone was distracted laughing, Momo leaned over to his onii-chan and quietly asked “when they were going to give their mom her present, since someone else’s family might have exchanged gifts already.”

Sei quickly pressed a finger to Momo’s lips with a “shhhhhh” to keep him from ruining the surprise, but his mum had seen, not heard, the entire exchange and questions what on earth they could be whispering about.

Thinking faster than usual, Momo mumbled out that he was saying he would have preferred Christmas cookies to the eggs on his plate, prompting Sei to lean over and headlock his brother, giving him a noogie while the younger struggled to escape. 

After the commotion had calmed down and they had settled back into normal conversation, their dad asked about the party they had planned with their friends later that evening, and where it was happening.

Both boys paused and looked at one another before both excitedly exclaiming-

~“We’re all going over to Nanase’s house!”~

 

“My mom was super happy with the gift we all got for them, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen her cry from getting a present” Makoto exclaimed with his signature smile, Haru nodding in response.

His mum hadn’t had as extroverted of a response, but he knew she was extremely happy to have the opportunity to spend some quality time alone with her friends, and the onsen Rin and he had eventually agreed upon was perfect.

The team had finished setting up the decorations about 20 minutes prior, so Makoto and Haru were sitting at the table casually chatting and drinking eggnog while Nagisa helped Rei finish setting up the television when they heard knocking at the front door.

As expected, when Haru moved to open the door Nagisa ran and beat him to it, bounding out to tackle-hug both Momo and Ai- saying how excited he was that they came with a liquored gleam. Rin, Gou, Sei, and Sousuke having managed to jump away before getting caught in the excitable teen's grasp.

Rei came running after the bubbly blond, apologizing for his boyfriend’s drunken behaviour while suggesting that Nagisa was cut off from the eggnog for the rest of the night.

Everyone but Nagisa and Rei laughed as the blond pouted, but agreed that he would only drink virgin eggnog for the rest of the night if Rei promised to give him an _appropriate reward_ for being good~ the comment causing a blush to colour Rei’s cheeks that matched the glow on Nagisa’s.

In typical mom-koto fashion, the brunet drew attention away from the comment and moved to get everyone settled inside from the cold – mentioning that anyone with gifts could place them under the tree in the living room.

After a lot of discussion, the group had agreed that they were going to exchange gifts together. But, they made it clear that they didn’t have to spend money equally on everyone - nor was anyone obligated to buy for everyone/anyone. They knew everyone had budgets to keep, and some didn’t know one another as well as others.

They just knew that it would be more fun to do the exchange together and that most would give gifts to just about everyone, so no one was going to end up feeling left out. So, essentially, the clarification just meant everyone could buy gifts for who ever they wanted and spend whatever they felt was appropriate.

It also meant people wouldn't have to re-think gifts they may have already purchased.

Natsuya and Ikuya ended up arriving a little later in the evening; apologizing and explaining that their entire day had ran a little behind schedule. Natsuya ruffling Ikuya’s hair in the process, suggesting it was his fault for sleeping in while the other batted his hand away and started to explain it was actually his brother’s fault – but was too embarrassed to explain that a weird gift from his _loving onii-chan_ had thrown him off-balance and had him calming down in his room again.

Rather, the younger ended up just grimacing at Natsuya with an expression that looked suspiciously similar to a pout before moving to find some eggnog to distract himself.

By the time the party was in full swing and everyone was content with the amount of cookies and eggnog they had consumed it had already gotten dark. That realization having Gou suggest that they start opening gifts before it got too late.

“But how are we going to choose who gets to open theirs first??” Nagisa explained with a giggle, apparently he was even sillier when he was intoxicated.

“Kid actually has a good point-” Natsuya pointed out “It’ll be too hectic if everyone is opening at the same time.”

“I would think that at most we should have 5 people opening their gifts at any given point, and even then, maybe two or three at the exact same time.” Rei suggested, pushing up his red-rimmed glasses with his thumb and pointer finger.

Nagisa and Gou both carefully re-counted the number of people attending the party before exchanging a wickedly mischievous look.

“I’ve got it!” both teens exclaimed! - with Gou quickly adding on “Samezuka vs Iwatobi muscle contest!! I- I can be the judge!” Rin nearly spat out his eggnog in disbelief before staring at her incredulously, while all the Iwatobi boys seemed horrifically used to this sort of suggestion.

“This is how you want to solve all our conflicts Gou…” Haru complained, while already beginning to unbutton his shirt, distracting Rin temporarily from further complaints.

There were groans of minor annoyance from a number of the other boys in the room, but they weren’t exactly _unused_ to Gou’s whims by this point, so they also slowly began removing their winter attire.

Not that he was going to admit it, but Rin was far too distracted by Haru stripping to stop Gou from staring too – plus, at this point, his competitive energy was coursing through his veins (considering he was almost positive his sister would select his team). Though his distraction also meant that he didn’t notice the direct eye contact that Sousuke was making with Gou as he slowly removed his button-up shirt with a devilish smirk on his face. Intentionally making a bit of a show of letting the fabric slide off his shoulders and down his arms before moving to stand with a confident smile and a wink.

Gou could feel her skin heating up, audibly gulping in response before her cheeks began to rosy. She caught herself staring hungrily down his chiselled chest when she realized they weren’t alone, and quickly spun to face a different direction.

All the while, Ikuya, who was completely unused to Gou’s insane shenanigans, was completely baffled by how easily everyone was going along with this insane suggestion. There was no way in hell he was stripping out of his sweater in front of a bunch of people he didn’t know that well- at least outside of an aquatic centre…

Natsuya could see Ikuya’s hesitation written all over face as he slowly strolled in the younger males direction. He knew there was an obvious and simple solution to this problem – but that wasn’t going to stop him from teasing the boy a bit first. 

“C’mon Iku-kun what are you waiting for?” He asked casually, grabbing the bottom of the boy’s sweater pretending to move to take it off. Ikuya quickly slapped his hands away, his heart rate increasing with the brush of Natsuya’s fingers against his bare skin.

“I-I don’t think I want to do this…” the younger responded quietly, suddenly a little embarrassed with his hesitation now that his nii-chan was standing, shirtless, in front of him.

Natsuya leaned in closer and whispered hotly into Ikuya’s ear so only he could hear-

“Oh come now Ikuya, I’m sure everyone here would love to see you shirtless – _I know I would_.” Ikuya could feel soft lips graze against his ear and the sensation sent a shiver up his spine.

He wasn’t in a headspace that was capable of dealing with these conflicting emotions – and he sure as hell wasn’t willing to accept that he had a crush on his older brother like Natsuya had suggested, jokingly he assumed, early that day.

“Why the hell would you wa-” but Natsuya had backed too far away from him to sass without other people hearing, and he wasn’t about to let everyone else know about their weird ‘relationship’ (which was a poor choice of title given the circumstances) quips.

“What was that Ikuya” Natsuya called out with a knowing smirk, retaining eye contact the entire time.

“nothing…” he mumbled out, returning an annoyed knowing look.

“Hmm… it’s an uneven number of people-“ Makoto pointed out. “Oh! Actually it’s simple~ Ikuya you just be a judge with Gou, that way it’s even.” Makoto smiled gently at the shorter boy, acknowledging that he understood this was making Ikuya uncomfortable without vocalizing the thought.

 The younger nodded in appreciation before catching the wicked gleam in his brother’s eyes.

“This is going to be an easy win then eh Ikuya?” The brunet stated with a wink. “There’s no way they’ll vote against their own school.”

“Don’t be so confident-” replied Rei, having been in this situation plenty of times “Gou’s whims change on a daily basis, sometimes she thinks Makoto-senpai’s shoulders are the best, other days Rin-san has the best tone overall…”

“Well then it’ll be a dead tie, because there’s no way Iku-kun is voting against his onii-chan.”

“Like Ryugazaki-san said, don’t be so confident…” Ikuya responded sharply, refusing to make eye contact with his brother in the process- because as much as he hated to admit it, if they were actually judging based off muscles he would have to pick his brother.

“Yahoo, it’s a good ole’ fashioned Iwatobi vs Samezuka contest then!” Sei shouted out, probably the most competitive of the bunch but the least knowledgeable about all the outside factors currently at play.

It was an interesting contest for sure: Rei, Nagisa, Makoto, Haru, and Natsuya VS Rin, Sou, Ai, Momo, and Sei.

Gou went straight into administrative mode once the teams were decided, and organized all the boys in a curved line as a straight one wouldn’t fit in Haru’s living room. Then she had both her and Ikuya walk back and forth, a clipboard in her hand, writing notes as they discussed significantly more scientific and descriptive qualifications than Ikuya was anticipating.

At random points in time, Gou would have one of the teens spin around or flex specific muscles, but after she went to feel one of Sei’s biceps Rin made it _extremely clear_ that all observations had to been sight-based ~ no touching.

Everything seems pretty much tied until the judges called their final pass by, and Sousuke decided playing fair wasn’t exactly part of his strategy anymore.

Moving to take a sip from his glass, he ‘accidentally’ spilt water straight down his chest, a muffled “oops” was all he muttered half-heartedly in response, not even trying to hide his intentions. He then decided to “try and wipe some of it off-” the statement catching Gou’s attention.

He proceeded to hold her eye contact as he moved his hands down his torso and along his abs, spreading the water out ~ the shine now thoroughly covered his chest and stomach. Gou’s eyes had followed his hands the entire way down, and now that her line of sight was already at his hips, he took the opportunity to pull his pants down ever so slightly- revealing the waistband of his boxes and the deeper V-cut of his Adonis belt.

Gou could feel the heat flushing to her face and along her skin, once again losing track of the other members of their teams in the room; gaze fixed at the gleam spreading across toned skin, the lights of the tree lighting up the water with a shimmer. It wasn’t until the third time her brother called her name that she was brought back to her senses.

With her vote efficiently “bought” the competition was up to Ikuya.

Now, as he had thought beforehand, if he were being honest he would have had to select Iwatobi as the winners… But he refused to admit that he preferred his brother’s build so he also voted for Samezuka. 

Sei cheered with his victory- explaining that with both he and his brother on the team there was no way they could lose. Sousuke couldn’t help but laugh considering they literally had nothing to do with the victory this time around.

Nagisa immediately called them both out for being traitors to their team and Natsuya passed his brother their third knowing glance of the night. Mako only laughed as he had see the results coming, and with Rin flaunting the victory in his face, Haru only responded that “he didn’t care about losing or winning” in typical Haru fashion. 

The blond was about to put up more of a fight, but Rei managed to explain to the tipsy teen that if he just conceded the victory this time he would get to open his presents faster. Having sobered up enough to see logic, Nagisa agreed to just move on to the present exchange. So after they put their shirts and sweaters back on (much to Gou’s dismay) they sat on the floor and sofas near the tree.

They decided that the Samezuka members were allowed to both receive and give out their gifts first if that’s what they preferred, and they all agreed that would make things run a little more smoothly.

A number of gifts were exchanged between members, some larger and some smaller but all still bringing a smile to everyone’s faces. 

Sousuke had gotten Gou an adorable blue and yellow sundress with a floral pattern that she hadn’t been expecting. The young girl couldn't stop the furious blush that coloured her cheeks for the umpteenth time that evening - a reaction that finally didn’t go unnoticed by her brother. The shark giving the two of them a confused look that aired on the side of caution.

Granted he was too nervous about giving his gift to Haru to do much about it at the moment.

Ai and Momo went to exchange and open gifts at the exact same time, and to their delighted surprise they realized they had both purchased the same sweater for one another – just in different colours (blue for Ai and red for Momo). Sei laughed the hardest of the group, explaining how cute it was that the young couple got each other the same gift.

The comment had Ai freaking out, exclaiming frantically that they weren’t together - to which the elder responded teasingly “you just keep telling yourself that kid” as he ruffled Ai’s grey hair.

Not knowing how to argue with his senpai, the duckling just resigned himself to blushing and allowing Momo to argue it out with his brother~ Rin moving to pat him on the back in subtle comfort.

Nagisa, the little devil he secretly was, had gotten real presents for all his friends, but had also gone out and purchased everyone _questionable_ gag gifts. The results left some team members blushing messes with how explicit their item was, while others laughed hysterically at how ridiculous they seemed.

Rei could only shake his head in complete disappointment – chiding Nagisa for buying such silly gifts but the blond was convinced they would all eventually use them so “it wasn’t silly, it’s useful!”

Rin also gave him an earful for giving Gou some skimpy underwear; despite it being the tamest gift of the set he gave out by a long shot. That being said, it didn’t seem like the boy was paying Rin any attention because he was already teasing Ai about the vibrator he had given him. 

Rin’s mini outburst combined with the utter outrageousness of the gag gifts meant that the order they had established had broken down completely, and people were just respectfully waiting their turns in a random order.

Eventually, after most of the gifts had been exchanged, Nagisa turned to Ikuya and asked why he and his brother weren’t exchanging any gifts, the teal haired boy explaining that he and Natsuya had already exchanged gifts at home. 

After a little more prodding from Nagisa and Momo, Natsuya boasted about receiving the flattering sweater he was wearing from Ikuya, along with an awesome two-player video game and some manga he had been wanting to read.

Focus shifting to the younger brother once again, Ikuya explains that he also gotten some manga~ some of which were _questionable,_ that fact emphasized with the glare shot at his nii-chan. Natsuya responding with a mischievous smirk and a wink in Nagisa’s direction –much to Makoto’s horror and Gou’s new found interest. She made a note to ask Ikuya about those later…

He then calmed down a little, a gentle smile gracing his features as he described the amazing set of calligraphy brushes and parchment he received, as well as a bunch of new music in the form of a customized playlist Natsuya had put together for him. He was legitimately grateful for both the gifts, and had been touched by the amount of thought that had obviously been put into them.

Natsuya seemed to be patiently and contently waiting for one more item to be listed, but when it didn’t come up he didn’t seem completely surprised. He _did_ shoot Ikuya a curious glance - but it was obvious the boy wasn’t budging on his choice not to mention it. Surprisingly enough, Natsuya decided to let it slide so Nagisa moved on to Sei and Momo to question them next.

At the same time Nagisa was giving the sibling the third degree, Rin had finally managed to pull Haru away from the prying eyes of the group to suggest they exchange gifts.

“So… um…did you want your present?” Nervousness getting the better of the shark, leaving him rubbing the back of his neck and smirking nervously as he asked - holding a medium sized box in his free hand.

Haru’s response was equally unsure; also pretty anxious about the gifts he had ultimately decided to give Rin. He was also 100% positive he wasn’t prepared to exchange them in front of the group.

Worrying his foot along the floor before moving a little closer so only Rin could hear him, Haru quietly said “I was hoping I could give mine to you later, a-after everyone goes home… Would that be okay?”

A little overwhelmed with just how close the raven-haired boy had gotten to him, Rin could only nod his head in agreement before moving to place his present back under the Christmas tree. He wasn’t entirely sure that his heart could handle this amount of stress for the rest of the night – but it didn’t seem as though he had much choice.

~~~

 

Rin had been mostly correct about his heart not handling things well – which translated into most of the party passing by in a blur.

If you asked him to recall what had happened in the past 4 hours the only things he could really tell you was that Makoto had gotten distracted by an animal planet show about kittens, Nagisa had tricked Momo into giving him candy, and Sousuke had the audacity to kiss Gou on the forehead because Nagisa had hung some mistletoe over them… and he had already reamed Sou out for that…

And then somehow they had ended up here, all gathered around the television watching the first Home Alone movie with hot chocolate in their mugs and kettle corn filling bowls on the table.

Rin had to admit, it had been a while since he’d seen the film, and was surprised to find it was as funny as he remembered it being as a kid. To be honest, having Rei there to comment on the “ _impossibility_ of such nonsense” because “both of these men should have been dead by now, this is absurd!” was making the whole thing even better.

Every ridiculous trap had the group laughing – and they would laugh even harder when they noticed everyone’s reactions leaving them a giggling mess for almost the entire length of the film. Meaning that by the end they almost felt as though they had been swimming with how long it took them to catch their breath.

If nothing else, that signalled that it was getting late and that they should probably start heading home to their families – so the group slowly made their way towards the front entrance. 

“I can stay here and help you guys clean if you’d like?” Makoto quickly offered before anyone had left, a sentiment that was quickly followed by both Rei and Sei- both not wanting to be rude or leave Haru to do all the work. But the raven-haired boy just waved them off nonchalantly, quickly mentioning that Rin had already offered to stay behind and help, and that with the small mess they had made two people cleaning was more than enough.

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Momo chuckled out, seriously not wanting to have to try and clean at this hour ~ who swiftly received a whack to the side of his head for being disrespectful from his older brother. After an apology was issued from the smaller teen, the group collected their hats, jackets, and mitts.

Pulling on all their winter gear, everyone was ready to leave and slowly began saying their goodbyes for the evening. Wishing their friends a Merry Christmas and exclaiming that they were all excited for a New Years party. 

Nagisa quickly popped up behind Ai and Momo, suggesting that they should go home together instead whilst giving both boys a firm slap on their asses, much to Momo’s surprise and Ai’s horror. The action had Rei apologizing on Nagisa’s behalf once again because the blond devil was convinced that his actions were appropriate given that “they might as well just admit that they like each other already.”

And in that moment, Ai could have swore he saw Momo blush… but it was probably just a trick of the light ~ but that single reaction was going to stay burned into his memory forever.

As they were leaving, Sei was quick to notice how close his brother stayed to the small grey haired boy, but decided that maybe now wasn’t the time to comment on the behaviour. He was just going to let them enjoy the walk home like a good older brother, to their house, whether Ai realized it just yet or not.

At the same time, Natsuya moved to grasp Ikuya’s gloved hand as they walked out the door, the younger immediately trying to pull his hand away but failing because his brother held his grip even tighter.

“It’s just until we get home Iku-kun… My hands are going to be freezing out here, and I don't want either of us slipping down these ridiculous steps.” Unfortunately the teal-haired teen couldn’t find a proper excuse to combat his brother’s statement. So instead, he simply huffed out a harsh breath and buried his face half into his scarf – but he didn’t try and pull away for the rest of the trip.

Now that the hallway was a little more spacious, Rin looked between his sister and his best friend, still not sure what to make of their behaviour for the past few hours.

“You guys have been acting weird all night, and my gut is telling me this might be a bad idea… but can you do me a favour and make sure Gou gets home safely tonight Sou?” Rin gritted out, really not happy about leaving them alone but also not wanting to go back on his word to wait back with Haru.

The taller teen stared at Rin quizzically before nodding in agreement, promising that nothing bad was going to happen to his sister and that she would get home safely.

With that promise and the appropriate goodbyes to everyone as they left, Rin and Haru were left in a much quieter house alone. Rin wished he could say they were in a comfortable silence, but that would’ve been a lie. His nerves had returned full force and he was starting to second-guess his gift choice…

But procrastinating this any longer wasn’t going to help the situation, he just needed to get it over with. Moving back to the living room, Rin quickly grabbed his gift from under the tree before sliding under the kotatsu- Haru having to run to his room to retrieve a box before settling in next to him.

Rin was going to comment on how close they were- seeing as Haru literally could have sat anywhere along the table and he had chosen directly next to him, which was possibly going to give him a heart attack- but then again maybe the confusing guy had a reason. He didn’t have time to think about this.

Too jittery to wait any longer for Haru to initiate anything, Rin ended up somewhat shoving his gift into the older males hands before quickly pulling back his own, biting his thumb timidly.

Rather than comment on Rin’s behaviour, Haru simply started to unwrap the package gently. When the contents of the box became clear to Haru he heard himself audibly gasp before looking at Rin with awe, the colour of his irises deepening with warmth.

Inside the package lay the knife set from the restaurant he had told Gou about, but they were in amazing condition. Rin explained that he thought they looked a little worn when he bought them, so he had taken them to get professionally sharped.

“Oh an-and there’s something else” Rin stuttered, moving to take one of the larger knifes out of the set so he could pass Haru a letter that was hidden underneath.

“While I was in the shop I asked if the head chef could maybe write a note of encouragement to an aspiring young cook…” Rin said sheepishly, shifting to rub the back of his neck again- this was becoming a habit.

Carefully unfolding the paper, Haru read through an inspiring and eloquently worded letter ultimately telling him to let his passion guide him, both in his cooking and in his life. A warmth Haru still wasn't quite accustomed to feeling filled his chest as he openly smiled at the words and then at Rin, the latter responding with a soft, genuine smile of his own. He was so happy Haru loved the gift and didn’t find the sentimental touches too much like he had feared.

The raven, now significantly more confident with his own gift after receiving such a thoughtful and, dare he suggest, loving present from Rin, then shifted to pick up his own present and pass it to Rin.

The box was smaller, but that didn't stop Rin from opening it carefully. Inside he found the stylish watch Gou and Haru had seen in the case.

“Oh, just wow, this is so cool Haru- I love the gears showing through and the band is such good quality an-” finally noticing the colour of the stones embedded throughout the face, Rin felt his voice get caught in his throat and his heart skip a beat, okay now he was getting a little choked up.

Haru mumbled something too quiet for Rin to hear, and without thinking Rin reached over to grab his hand before asking him to repeat what he said.

The older male paused and stared at their hands for a moment before turning to look at Rin with stunningly darkened eyes- Rin could have sworn they were getting more saturated by the moment.

Shaking his raven locks slightly to snap himself out of it, Haru reached over to gently turn the watch over so Rin could see the engravement around the face.

“As long as there’s still time, cheers to the sights we are yet to see.” 

Rin could feel his chest tighten as the weight of the sentiment behind the words hit him, hearing his own voice as a child saying the phrase. He also found himself staring intently at the word “we”, excitedly hoping it could eventually match his definition of “We”. 

The romantic could feel his eyes start to water, but before he could say anything further in thanks, Haru cautiously suggested “th-there’s something else too”. Rin couldn’t help but flinch at the emotion in Haru’s tone- he seemed almost… scared?

Regardless, he waited for Haru to grab something else but the movement never came-

“I need you to close your eyes first…” 

Now Rin was getting a little nervous about what Haru might do, but he trusted him so he cautiously covered his eyes with his hands and waited for what seemed like an eternity for Haru to say he could open them.

But then, Rin suddenly felt a sensation warmer than he’d ever felt press against his lips as series of sparks went off in the back of his skull. Not fully registering what was happening, he gasped and failed to move his hands in time, and suddenly the warmth his gone.

Quickly opening his eyes with his mouth agape he found himself looking at a furiously blushing Haru who was refusing to make eye contact with him. But Rin was far too excited to feel embarrassed because holy fuck that couldn’t have been what he thought it was could it?

“Do it again.” Was all he could say in response at that moment, because he needed to feel that sensation again, if only to know if it had been real.

Haru finally met his eyes with a slightly concerned look, but eventually nods gently then moves to kiss him again, only to have Rin meet him halfway, pulling the raven into a much deeper kiss than the first.

Rin could feel all his nerves suddenly dissipating, and soon he felt as if he was melting into the kiss, tender lips slowly moving against one another in a loving dance. Nothing hotter, just the two finally putting into action the feelings they’d held back until now. Rin could have sworn he felt like he was flying.

Finally separating in a daze, Rin rested his forehead against Haru’s as he struggled to find his voice. After managing to slow his rapidly beating heart, Rin managed to ask in a whisper-

“Did… did we just become a thing?”

“Isn’t that what you really wanted?” and Rin couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“It’s been what I wanted since we were kids you idiot” Rin explained, pulling Haru into a tight loving embrace that, for the first time, was returned with just as much force. The overwhelming feeling of love coursing through Rin’s veins leaving him thanking every spirit he could think of as he nuzzled into Haru’s neck.

“You know Haru… your lips aren’t exactly the only thing I’ve been asking for…” Rin purred out a little while later, moving to nibble on the raven’s ear.

“Oh really?” Haru responded with a pause “I think we could maybe work something out…” and with that Haru was standing and beckoning Rin to follow him to his room – this was turning out to possibly be one of the greatest Christmases Rin would ever have… and soon he was quick to follow Haru inside.

 

 


	4. New Year's Cheers

“Whaaaa? You guys got together like 10 minutes after we left on Christmas?! That isn’t fairrrr. Reiii-chann~ ifwe had stuck around for like a few more minutes, we coulda seen it!” Nagisa commented, slurring his words, having been at this impromptu interview with the boys for about 20 minutes now.

Out of everyone that could have been excited about them getting together, they honestly hadn’t expected Nagisa to be the most interested. Then again… he was also drunk so _everything_ was this interesting and exciting to him.

“But have you kissed yet?! Have you?”

“Th-that’s not really any of your business…” Rin said avoiding the question, not really one to kiss and te-

“Obviously?” Haru said bluntly, bringing a giant smile to Nagisa’s face and catching the attention of the shark’s younger sister. Rin, on the other hand, could feel his face reddening~ he’s lucky the amount they had all had to drink already would cover it up.

“Really!!” They both shouted, Gou suddenly way more interested in Nagisa’s questions than before. Realizing that an intoxicated Haru was way more likely to answer their questions, the pair refocused their energy to start rapid firing questions at him-  
  
“Did it have tongue? Did you have your clothes on or off? Was it just a peck or have you totally made out?” Haru just rolled his eyes, not interested in the barrage of questions that was suddenly coming his way.

“Did you take it any further? Ne Ne Haru-chan~ what base have you gotten to??” Nagisa asked with a wriggle of his eyebrows, both Gou and he leaning in closer to hear Haru’s response.

“Nagisa-kun that is highly inappropriate, you shouldn’t be asking your senpai such qu-” Rei had just about finished his scolding when Nagisa popped up and shhhh’ed him with a finger then a kiss. He was about to make a mocking comment back but Haru’s confusion brought him back to what he had been doing.

The raven had leaned over to a currently mortified Rin and asked what “base” meant – not recognizing the expression and after initially refusing to answer his boyfriend’s question, Rin huffed and whispered an explanation to him.

Haru suddenly looked a lot more reserved than he had previously been and muttered a simple “oh…” in response.

Rin suddenly had a sliver of hope that Haru would see that maybe that wasn’t information that should be broadcast to a group... but then Haru leaned back over and quietly asked “So what base is which? Is it just all of them?”

“Oi! Shhh, this isn’t something you tell people Haru…”

‘Heyyyyy, what are you whispering about over there Rin-chan, tell me tell me tell me!” Nagisa pouted moving to reach for the shark’s hands.

“Hahaha, what’s going on over here, you guys still getting an interrogation from the relationship police?” Sousuke joked as he joined the circle.

Rin just looked at him pleadingly, there was no way be was going to able to keep up with both dodging all these questions and preventing Haru from answering them.

“Nii-chan and Haru-chan were just about to say if they’ve had se-”

“OKAY, that’s just about enough of that…” Sousuke interrupted, looking at Rei as he picked Gou up by her waist. Looking for the megane to provide a similar physical intervention before he walked away carrying Gou with him.

“I think Momo-kun was saying he wanted to ‘kick our asses’ in Mario Kart, shall we go show him and Ai-kun who the experts are?” Rei posed instead, not entirely sure if he would be physically able to remove Nagisa from the situation without a struggle.

“AAA Video games~~~ Let’s show them which couple is superior! But I want another drink first…” The blond responded, moving to find himself another sweet cooler to drink having seemed to completely forget he even asked a question.

‘That was all it took to get rid of him?!’ Rin thought incredulously, silently cursing that the suggestion wasn’t brought up earlier, but at least they could finally get some peace.

It had been a while since they had all gotten drunk together considering getting alcohol was easier said than done at their age and they all had their physical health to take care of. Swimmers need to be in top shape after all.

But that being said, it was the holidays, and they didn’t have training anytime soon, so when Natsuya had offered to grab some liquor for the party everyone had pitched in some cash for their own drinks. 

Rin was still pretty sober all things considered, he figured he’d need at least three more shots or drinks before he would really start feeling it, the raven next to him was another story. He had a surprising tolerance for his size, and had gotten into the habit of drinking some of Makoto’s drinks so the taller man wouldn’t black out ~ he was the opposite of Haru, ridiculously light weight.

But that also meant he usually ended up drunk a lot earlier than Rin, and this stoic – quiet phase that was happening now was stage 1.

There was something really fascinating about being sober in a room with all your drunk friends – you could really see how their personalities change.

Take Rei and Nagisa for example; when they’re drunk they're essentially just massively amplified versions of themselves with an added touchy –feely nature. Nagisa got louder and more excitable, and would run around to make friends with just about anyone he found remotely interesting. Rei got equally loud and excited, but he was always explaining something complex or gushing over something beautiful~ to be honest they were sort of perfect together.

Then you had the lovable lightweight dork that was Makoto, he’s your stereotypical happy, giggly drunk. He’s the one coo’ing over cute things and hugging them close because they are “his babies”. He’s also the one who was currently super distracted by the Kirishima’s cat in the living room.

Rin could have given a solid examination of each character in the room, but he was quickly distracted by the drink in Gou’s hand, which he had clearly told her _not_ to have.

“OI! Just what do you think you’re doing?” He asked angrily, ready to ream Natsuya out for giving his sister a drink.

“It’s just one drink, Sousuke-kun made it for me~” Gou pouted, not wanting to deal with her brothers anger, but also not wanting to give up the glass in her hand.

“Sousu-, what the hell? You know I don’t want her drinking this young?”

“She’s the same age as those four-” Sou replied calmly, gesturing over to the two young couples sitting infront of the television screen.

“I’m aware, but _they_ are not my respo-”

“Relax Rin… it’s one drink. I’ll look out for her. I’m not planning on drinking much tonight” Sousuke interrupted, gesturing to the drink currently in Rin’s hand.

Something was telling Rin this was another red flag, but the taller teen had a point, if he was drinking tonight he couldn’t exactly watch over Gou. Besides, they were in a group of friends at a house party, not in some sleazy bar… He supposed one drink wouldn’t hurt…

“Okay fine… just- make sure you’re watching then…” Rin conceded, trusting Sou enough to relax a little.

He may have added some more choice words for his best friend to the statement, but from behind him Rin could hear a familiar bubbling laughter that he had come to consider one of the greatest sounds known to man. Partially because it was so rare, and partially because it was coming from the person he loved.

Haru giggling at his predicament before returning to his previous stoic expression basically meant one thing – he’d reached stage 2 drunk.

Over in the opposite corner of the room, Nagisa and Rei had finally sat down for a race. Nagisa moved and plopped himself down right between Rei’s legs, kissing him on the nose, before grabbing his controller and starting to sift through the characters.

Noticing the couple’s behaviour, Momo decided it would therefore be appropriate to pull Ai into his own lap to sit for the duration of the game. He was new to this whole relationship thing, and Rei and Nagisa seemed to have everything figured out, so to his intoxicated mind mirroring them was the best option.

This, of course, was done despite Ai’s flustered protests and attempts to pull away out of embarrassment. The fact that Momo had even _listened_ to Sei’s suggestion to start dating was baffling enough to the duckling, let alone all the _actions_ that came with it. He wasn’t sure if his heart could handle the contact.

After failing to get himself out of Momo’s bear hug grasp and noticing that no one seemed to care about what they were doing, Ai finally stopped his struggling and shifted to sit in a more comfortable position between the boy's legs. Starting to select his own character with a slight blush and a small, gentle smile on his face.

Their characters wiped around the tracks, abet less steadily than normal with the drunken state of the players. Bananas, green and red shells, and fake boxes seemed to be flying everywhere as they fought for the first and second positions.

Coming down to the final lap Nagisa tried to physically bump the boys sitting next to his with a side check to beat them for first place, but Rei’s arm at his side prevented him from doing so.

Without the intervention of some foul play Momo and Ai’s characters crossed the finish line first! The redhead cheered out in success in typical Mikoshiba fashion before grabbing Ai’s face and pulling him in for a quick but hard celebratory kiss.

When he pulled back Ai looked like he was about to faint from shock while Rei and Nagisa just looked at each other stunned before Nagisa pumped both his fists in the air yelling “FINALLY!”

From the looks of it he had a new couple to question.

Ikuya had been watching the entire debacle from the couch, nursing the drink currently in his hand. He wasn’t going to lie; he was a little bitter with just how many happy couples were surrounding him while he was stuck dealing with his idiot brother.

Since the start of their break his brother had been relentless in his teasing, giving him suggestive gifts, grazing past him far too often, and wanting to cuddle way more than was appropriate for a typical sibling relationship. And he was close to his breaking point. 

He knew his brother was just messing with him, but the more he teased and touched the more Ikuya couldn’t help but admit he wanted more. As weird and ridiculous as it was, he needed more contact. Those same weird and ridiculous thoughts were the reason he was currently wearing one of his brother’s ridiculous gifts under his jeans – not that that idiot was ever going to see them…

Shaking his teal locks into his face, the young teen took another gulp of the strong drink in his hand – and proceeded to almost choke on it when his brother plopped himself down next to him.

“What’re you doing over here all on your lonesome Iku-kun?” Natsuya asked coolly, voice a lot deeper than usual… Ikuya noted it was probably from the alcohol in his hand in an attempt to calm the things that tone was doing to him. 

“Mom and dad will be mad if the house is messy when they get back….” was all the younger replied instead, uninterested in discussing his current predicament with the source of the problem.

“We can worry about that tomorrow morning – besides, we’ve only got like 20 minutes until the countdown, you might as well try and enjoy yourself.”

“Yeah whatever.” Ikuya said shortly, averting his gaze to stare at Rin and Haru across the room. Only then realizing that at some point in the night Haru had lost his cardigan and was currently leaning back with his shirt half undone, fanning himself because of the heat. His hands lazily touching various parts of his body, completely oblivious to the way he looked to everyone else in the room.

Looking up slightly, Ikuya could see that the raven-haired boy was clearly plastered, face rosy from the liquor in his system, hair mused and skin shimmering from sweat. Then Haru must have noticed he was staring, because suddenly Ikuya was met with a stare that would have made his knees weak if he was standing.

Nanase wasn’t even his type, but with his deep sapphire eyes and long lashes currently lazily blinking in his direction with the most obvious case of bedroom eyes the teen had ever seen, there was nothing Ikuya could really do but stare back. He then gulped as a lithe tongue slipped out to lick soft lips with a hand motion he could have sworn was beckoning him closer, if he had to compare the boy to something- at the moment he seemed like a siren.

But before he could even begin to move the alluring siren’s shark popped into his vision, giving him a death stare that was protective enough to still his movement completely.

The statement “he’s mine-” read loud and clear before Rin shifted to pull Haru closer to him to kiss the raven on the forehead. The gesture completely drawing Haru’s attention away from the teal-haired boy and back to his boyfriend next to him.

“Damn, Matsuoka’s one lucky dude eh Ikuya?” Natsuya commented trying to get his brother’s focus back on _him._

“You always did seem to prefer Nanase….” Ikuya mumbled out harshly, remembering the resentment he had held against Haru as a kid for that reason alone.

The statement sort of threw Natsuya off guard, it had been a while since Ikuya seemed envious of Haru- but this time the jealously was directly linked to a compliment he had just given over the raven’s appearance. In his book that was an amazing sign that his plan for the evening would go off without a hitch, so all he had to do now was wait.

Ruffling the boy’s hair, Natsuya stood up and held out his hand –

“Help me pour everyone some champagne will you? It’s in the kitchen.” Ikuya swatted the hand away but moved to stand anyways; even if he was pissed they were the hosts tonight so he technically should be helping.

Natsuya stayed in place watching Ikuya walk away, noticing the unique band that was showing just above Ikuya’s jeans before he pulled his shirt down.

 _‘So he wore them anyways_ ’ Natsuya thought mischievously. Oh yes, his plan was going to go perfectly. Smirking to himself, the older boy moved to kick the boys off the television so he could turn on the countdown – 10 minutes left.

~~~

 

Passing out the champagne as they stood near the television, everyone had somewhat moved to be near their significant other- not that anyone really noticed who was standing where considering how much they had had to drink.

As the countdown started however, it was extremely clear where everyone was intending to move. With the final moments passing the group started to count down along with the announcers~

“5…4…3…2…1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!” They cheered – and when the clock chimed midnight a number of things happened all at once besides the expected tackling of Rei to a couch by his excitable boyfriend. 

First and foremost, Haru had finally yanked Rin in for a hotter kiss than they had ever shared up to that point. Grasping onto the front of his sweater to keep him close and running his free hand through mused wine-tone locks. A passion that was easily reciprocated since the younger of the two was far past his point of control and hungrily accepted Haru’s actions. Pulling away to catch his breath, Haru moaned at the loss of contact and Rin growled out that he was dragging Haru’s ass back home as soon as possible.

Having been decidedly distracted, Rin missed Gou jump to pull Sousuke into a kiss he hadn’t been expecting- which he graciously accepted after realizing Rin was far too occupied to notice, moving to wrap his arms around her waist and lift her so they were at eye level. 

An action that Momo was surprisingly unfazed by despite his previous obsession with the young girl. Because Ai had finally built up enough confidence with the help of some liquid spirits to grab the teen by the shoulders and pull him into a kiss, accidentally bumping their noses before tilting to fit their lips together. A kiss that was reciprocated with the addition of a warm hug, and a nuzzle to his nose when they parted.

Having predicted pretty much all of this would happen, Natsuya was able to use the distraction to pull Ikuya away from everyone’s view into his bedroom and kick the door shut before anyone noticed. Moving quickly, he placed his hands on either side of the boy face and pulled him into a heated kiss.

Too riled up from his previous ‘interaction’ with Haru, and a little too tipsy for his logical brain to overpower his lustful desires, the younger accepted the kiss with a gasped moan; the sensation of soft lips moving against his own sending shivers down his spine and heat straight to his lower half. Quickly responding by throwing his arms tightly above Natsuya’s shoulders to pull him in closer.

Getting a positive reaction, Natsuya sped things along by releasing the hold he had on the boy’s face, and moving to run his hands up and under Ikuya’s sweater and along his back. The surprise contact making him gasp again, allowing Natsuya to slip his tongue in between the younger’s lips.

Eventually pulling back ever so slightly from the treat in his arms, Natsuya practically growled out- “I saw that you might be wearing that gift I gave you~” as he slid his hands lower towards the top of Ikuya’s jeans.

Despite already being red from the champagne, Ikuya could feel his face flush scarlet as he nodded slightly, no use in lying now... it was too late. The embarrassed honesty prompting Natusya to undo the top button of the younger pants before slipping his hand inside. Sure enough, he could feel the soft but skimpy black fabric at the front, and moving to follow the top band he soon felt soft, heated skin under his finger tips with the open back.

The design meant he was covered at the front, but other than the top waistband and the two thinner bands at the top of his thighs the back was completely open. Ikuya shivers in response to the touch, accepting that this contact was what he had been needing.

But it was cut short too soon, because as soon as the contact has started Natsuya hands had pulled away and redone the button of his pants as he hotly whispered in his ear that he “couldn’t wait to get him alone- but they needed to head back to the party.”

Ikuya was somewhat stunned as he stared up at the brunet with blown-out eyes and somewhat swollen lips – a sight that would have short circuited Natsuya’s self control had he not heard his name being called from outside the room.

“Stay here for a minute, then come out so no one _suspects_ anything” he teased- kissing the boy on the forehead as he reached to grab a thicker sweater behind him. 

Ikuya could only nod and try and gather his wits as Natsuya opened the door and retuned to the party – explaining that he was just grabbing a sweater.

He rejoined the group soon after for a quick final toast to the New Year with clinking of champagne glasses and well wishing. It was obvious that many of the couples were itching to get home though, and soon after the toasts were done they were rushing to gather their coats and boots. Quickly saying their goodbyes and promises to text when they got home safely before practically running out the door.

Exhaling a massive sigh of relief as everyone was finally out of the house – Natsuya worked to control his excitement before slowly turning around to face Ikuya. That blown out stare and those temptingly red lips were just as alluring as they had been, and this time he didn’t bother to control his reaction.

Quickly pulling the sweater he had on off and over his head, revealing the chest and stomach Ikuya had been dreaming about ever since the Christmas party- he gestured back towards his room with his hand. Raspily asking-

“Now where were we?” as he extended his arm, silently asking for Ikuya’s hand. 

And this time Ikuya took it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! I hope you had a positively wonderful holiday season and they you enjoyed this craziness as much as I enjoyed writing it - never realized just how difficult writing this many characters at the same time was :P
> 
> There's also potentially going to be a bonus chapter that might change the rating of the story - but that has yet to be discussed with the giftee so it's not for sure as of yet! 
> 
> Like are like high-fives through the internet and comments are my favourite! Talk to me friends! :)
> 
> Tumblr: https://sakuradreamscape.tumblr.com/


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